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Acts 2:33 clearly explains what the “promise of the Father” is. Jesus said in John 15:26-27: “When the Counselor comes whom I will send to your from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about Me. And you also must testify, for you have been with Me from the beginning.”

Again in Luke 24:49 Jesus said: “I am going to send you what My Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Acts 1:8 ties in the “power comes on”…. this matches the idea of being “clothed with power.”

Luke 24:49 and Acts 2:33 are tied together as the “promise of the Father.” In facts Acts 2:33 clearly reveals what the “promise of the Father” is.“Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now HEAR and SEE.” Notice the exact ideas being repeated here that Jesus Himself said in John 15:26-27.

The Promise of the Father could be SEEN and HEARD according to Acts 2:33. The question must be asked, what were people “seeing and hearing.” Scripture itself answers this question in Acts 2:4,6-11. The “Promise of the Father”, the “clothing of power from on high” is nothing less than people SPEAKING IN TONGUES and glorifying God in languages they had not learned.

Scripture is our answer not our theology. Acts 2:33 says unequivocally: “Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” This doesn’t happen quietly.

Peter promises this same experience to thousands of people at that time. He did not say it was only for some believers; no he guaranteed this same experience to ALL who would receive Jesus.

When you speak in tongues the Holy Spirit speaks His words through you and glorifies Jesus through you; you then are strengthened in the Lord and then YOU speak the Word of God boldly. This is what the “filling of the Spirit” does for a person. See in Acts 2:4 the Holy Spirit spoke through them and in Acts 2:14 Peter speaks boldly of Jesus.

The more you speak in tongues and give room for the Holy Spirit to “testify of Jesus” the more you will speak boldly and “testify of Jesus.” John 15:26-27, Acts 2:4,6,14, 33, 38-39

In the next blog we will show clearly from the Scriptures the DIFFERENCE between the INDWELLING of the Spirit in all believers and the “FILLING of the Holy Spirit.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He as also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end.”

Humanity has always wanted to live. National Geographic did an article on the “Fountain of Youth.” In it they quote numerous famous figures of history who bemoan the aging process. Some of them are Mark Twain, Homer, William Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde. Alexander the Great was thought to be looking for a river that stopped old age from happening and then we all know that Juan Ponce De Leon who was looking for the fountain of youth, which he thought could be in Florida.

Judging by the large retired age group demographic in Florida no one has found that “fountain of youth” yet 🙂 Scientist are working on ways to stop cells from aging, and marketers are selling potions, lotions and foods to us all in the name of keeping us young.

Why is this drive to live so strong? Ecc. 3:11 says God has put into humanity the idea of eternity. It is our ultimate destiny. All will live forever the Bible declares. Some will live with God in a beautiful place and others will be separated from Him in the a terrible place the Bible calls the Lake of Fire also called the Second Death.

Everybody is immortal, our body may die but our spirit, the essence of who we are will live on. God has made a way for all to be saved from the Lake of Fire and He calls every person to open up and receive the Gift of eternal life which He offers us in His Son Jesus Christ.

God has put the desire in you to want to live forever, God has made the way for all to live together in Heaven and God is calling all people to take the road that leads to Heaven. What is that Road? It is Jesus Christ Himself, who was born of a virgin, lived and died on the cross taking the punishment for all of humanity’s sin. Though He was innocent God in great love died in our place. Jesus says: I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, nobody comes to the Father except through me.

In your sin you and I have left our Father and walked away from His love and provision. But repentance (changing your mind) and faith in Jesus as your leader (Lord) will bring you home to your Father.

How do I know this to be true because Jesus not only died like He said he would, but He also rose from the dead like He said He would do! He overcame death! He is not buried in the ground but is in Heaven preparing a place for all who would follow Him.

As we celebrate Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ understand that He is helping you fulfill that desire in your heart to live. Through faith in Him you will live forever and never truly die.

In John 11: 25 Jesus says: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Do we need more highly programmed services? Do we need more organized structures in our church? What is it that the church needs to be more “relevant?” What does it look like in a service when the Holy Spirit is active and at work in worship, the Word and fellowship? These are questions as a pastor that I wrestle with.

One thing seems certain we need the activity of the Spirit. He brought life in Genesis and does in the Spirit world today. There was something about people who were Spirit-filled in the Early Church. Out of that came much great preaching, teaching, evangelism and discipleship.

I believe it is through the activity of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life that enables that person to live out Jesus’ words “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” We must be peculiar people, we are “relevant” when we offer them (the world) the answer they truly need…..Jesus.

You see Jesus wins in a person’s life. When Jesus is exalted and a person humbles themselves before Him…..true life and strength come in. In our world today the Holy Spirit exalts Christ Jesus. We must be people of the Spirit to glorify Jesus.

You and I need to be filled with His Spirit, pray in/with Spirit language, we must move in the Gifts of the Spirit as Paul says we should “eagerly desire the gifts.” Then live in the Fruit and the power of the Spirit. Then we must quit living for ourselves and find out how to be a “friend of sinners” just like Jesus was, bringing the light and power and life of the Spirit to a dead world.

As I was reading in my Bible today, I came across Proverbs 29:18. A familiar verse to many people. I paused as I felt the Lord give me some revelation on this verse, particularly related to my church but I believe could be applied with all people.

As I sat and stared at the verse it seemed as though the Lord was saying to me it’s the revelation and teaching of the Holy Spirit which is the most effective “steering wheel” in people’s lives. Better than rules and guidelines which usually only hit “skin deep” level.. Revelation starts at the deepest part of the person and works upward and outward. Rules often start on the “surface level” of people’s hearts and we only hope that people receive them and take them down into the deepest parts of who they are.

Revelation is superior to rules.

Read the verse: “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.” Notice it is not the law that keeps people “in line.” The law is already given but it is “revelation.” The word “revelation” here is rightly translated as “vision,” when people see/understand/perceive/discern truth then we are led to follow right ways to live.

Blinded by spiritual darkness and left to our fallen nature we as people have the tendency to make fatal, damaging and destructive choices in life. “There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death,” But the Holy Spirit should be our teacher.

1 Cor. 2:12-14 tells us: “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them BECAUSE THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED.

It is this “spiritual discernment” that we all need. It is what Peter had when called Jesus “the Christ” (Matt. 16:16.) Jesus blessed him after that. Yet a short time later Peter is caught using natural reasoning, and not able to discern the very TRUTH that Jesus had to die.

Spiritual revelation is the greatest hope for your lost son or daughter. For your spouse that is far from God. It is the greatest need of all people. Even Christians who have the Holy Spirit but don’t live in Him or are not familiar with him often fail to discern the things the Spirit is wanting to reveal to them. Often times they see it as foolishness and cast of the restraint, safety and privilege that revelation would bring into their lives.

Like Paul in Colossians 1:9-10 we need to never stop praying that God would give His revelation to our loved ones. “For this reason since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and ASKING GOD TO FILL YOU with the KNOWLEDGE of HIS WILL through all SPIRITUAL WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING. And we pray this in order that YOU MAY LIVE A LIFE WORTHY of the Lord and PLEASE HIM in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.”

Notice it is Spiritual wisdom, understanding and knowledge which causes people to NOT cast off restraint, but to walk in the will of God as they are coming into greater intimacy with Him and living a life that brings Him glory and eternal reward.

As you keep your rules and guidelines pray, pray, pray and ask, ask, ask, God to give your loved ones revelation, rules are often “skin deep” and may not affect the heart but revelation starts in the deepest parts of a person and works upward and outward producing the life of God.

It seems the fastest way to get people to scream and holler is to take away their rights. No matter what you believe if you feel your rights or the rights of someone you love are being trampled on and being treated unfairly then we speak up.

This could take place on the playground, in a work place, church, school or government. A question comes to my mind, “why do people value human rights so much for?”

This should be a lead in question with an atheist when in a discussion about God, faith etc…. Let them ponder on that for awhile and then ask for a response. A second follow up question is where the title of this blog gets its name, “Where do human rights come from?”

Have you ever stopped to truly think about this? Do our rights come from our Constitution? Is that why we have rights? What about the people who live in nations with no such thing as a Constitution? Is right for a leader to oppress his people just because the don’t have Constitution? No, of course not.

So our rights don’t come from our Constitution. If you read our Constitution you find that it was put place for the Liberty, peace and the prosperity of our nation. It really doesn’t explain why individuals should have rights. But our Constitution does not stand alone, no it stands upon the Shoulders of another Document: The Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence tells us explicitly why humans beings have rights regardless of whether they live in a country with a despicable ruler or a benevolent Constitution such as our own. Let me quote it for you: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are CREATED equal, that they are ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR with certain UNALIENABLE RIGHTS, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Our rights are given by God. No man or government has the right to take them away. But an atheist has to make the case that an accident in the Universe, a mindless beginning, a purposeless start has a objective, rationale meaning. If our beginning has no purpose, then we have no purpose, If our beginning had no value, then we have no value. Any value we pretend to have is just that pretend, because the Universe just doesn’t care.

The great atheist and mathematician Bertrand Russel understood this and rightly concluded:

“[Man] … his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labour of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius aredestined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and that the whole temple of Man’s achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins… “A Free Man’s Worship’ (1903). In Why I Am Not a Christian: And Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects (1967), 107

And to close this section of thought I quote the great atheist: Friedrich Nietzsche :“equality is a lie concocted by the inferior people who arrange themselves in herds to overpower those who are naturally superior to them, the morality of equal rights is herd mentality because it opposes the cultivation of superior individuals it leads to the corruption of the human species.”

This is a Naturalist an Atheist who says that the “morality of Human Rights corrupts humanity.”

He is taking the logical outworking of Naturalism/Atheism and honestly concluding that Human Rights do not come from Evolution, in fact right, rational and honest thinking always leads to this same conclusion. So I ask once again: “Where Do Human Rights Come From……..? God our Creator.

Sound doctrine, it is something the Scriptures tell us is important. Doctrine is what we believe. Anyone claiming to “believe” has doctrine or a theology…..a way of looking at and understanding God. The Apostle Paul tells the young man Timothy to “watch his life and doctrine closely and by doing that he will save himself and those who hear him.” (1 Tim. 4:16.)

Peter says: “Therefore dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.” (2 Peter 3:17.) In this context Peter is referring to men who distort the Scriptures.

Again Paul tells Timothy to “correctly handle the Word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15.) Scripture goes on to tell us that people will gather around many teachers who will tell them what their itching ears want to hear. “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead to suit their own desires they will gather around themselves a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim 4:3)

A couple of things we quickly learn is that our “secure position” in Christ can be lost… or that we can fall from this, and the downfall is wrong theology or belief systems, which come from twisting the Scriptures. A second and powerful thing we notice is that people don’t want sound doctrine and find teachers to tell them what they want to hear. The sad thing here is that these people themselves have quit reading the Scriptures. They look to others to support their doctrine. The Scriptures are a secondary influence if at all anymore in their lives. As people progress this way, they will notice that the Bible becomes less and less a part of their lives, yet their belief system continues to grow and change. From where then are they drawing their beliefs?

The next step then is to discredit the Bible and to say it is not the Word of God. But is this true? What does Jesus Himself say about this?

One of the perversions out there, says this “The Bible is not the Word of God, Jesus is.” Now interestingly enough where do they find the foundation for this belief? In the very Bible they say is not the Word of God! If it is not the Word of God why trust what it says about Jesus or anywhere?

Their thinking goes like this. Jesus is the exact representation of God. This is true. Hebrews tells us this and Jesus Himself claims to only do and say what the Father is doing. Jesus does reflect the heart of God to us. However, the next step they take is to say that if we don’t see it in the life of Jesus than it is not of God. Meaning the God of the Old Testament and the judgments He made on people; the storms, destructions, telling Israel to entirely destroy nations etc….

If there is teaching in the New Testament they don’t like they say: “ well Jesus didn’t do or say that so that those passages can’t be inspired of God”. This leads to a second perversion….a false Jesus. Paul who personally was chosen by Jesus to reveal Christ to the Gentiles says:

“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and PURE devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” 2 Cor. 11:3-4

It is indeed true that Jesus is the the Word, (John 1:1) but it is also true that Scripture is the Word of God (John 10:34-35). If we see difference in how God is revealed does that mean one is wrong? No. In fact the people that say “the Bible is not the Word of God but Jesus is” will not accept the Biblical Jesus and His teaching found in the Gospels and the NT. They will pick and choose what they like, things He said or did but won’t accept all of what He says.

Example 1. Jesus teaches the written Scriptures ARE the Word of God

Jesus Himself calls the Scriptures the “Word of God.” John 10-34-36: “Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your Law, I have said you are gods. If he called them gods to whom the Word of God came–and the Scriptures cannot be broken, what about the one the Father set apart as His very own and sent into the world…..”

The Greek word here for “Word” is logos and the word “Scripture” is the word “graphe” literally the word “writing”. Here Jesus CLEARLY links the Word of God as a writing/passages. This also makes sense of the passage in James 1:22: “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what IT says.”(WORD = LOGOS IN JAMES 1:22). Jesus is not an “it.”

What about Jesus words in Matt. 4:4 “Jesus answered, It is written {(graphe/Scripture}: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Here is a powerful verse. The Greek root word for “word” here is “Rhema”, a thing that is spoken, a word, a saying, a report. So it is the Words of God given to us in written form, which is Scripture (graphe). You live off of God’s Word.

Example 2. Jesus teaches and sustains the Jewish understanding of Sodom and Gomorrah’s judgment and destruction and a coming Judgment Day, God’s OLD Testament judgments against sin.

The false Jesus they ascribe to, is only “love” in their definition of love.

Will they accept the fact that Jesus told believers that if they are not accepted with their message in a place that they are to “shake of the dust of their feet” as a testimony against them” declaring it will be better than Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgement? Matt. 10:14-15 & Luke 9:5.

Many of these people don’t even believe there is a “Judgment Day. coming”

Do they accept the fact that Jesus told many “sinners” of their condemnation?“Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. Woe to Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida if the miracles that were performed in you were performed in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And I tell you Capernaum , will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom it would have remained to this day. But I tell you the truth it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you. Matt. 11:20-24

Jesus here acknowledges the truth of God’s judgment on Sodom. People will say “when did Jesus send a storm on anybody?” How about the storm Jesus sent on Sodom and Gomorrah. A storm that rained down burning sulfur? Genesis 19:23-29 tell us clearly the Lord overthrew these cities from Heaven. Who is the Lord………..Jesus is!

How about the Noah’s Flood? The Word of God is clear that “the Lord was grieved that He made man of the earth and His heart was filled with pain.”

Question: who created ALL THINGS? Jesus the Word did (John 1:3 Col 1:16-17) If this is true and Jesus made all things…..then He made man. It was Jesus the Eternal Word, the Creator who brought the storm of all storms upon sinners. Jesus Himself again acknowledges the Judgment of God (Himself) upon sin and sinners in the OT, (Matt.24:38-39.)

Jesus actually sanctifies these judgements in the OT by speaking of them as events that were true and of God. In fact He Himself, the Word was the author of those judgments. He most certainly does NOT speak of them being contrary to who He was/is. But says worse things will come upon the unrepentant. (See again Matt. 11:20-24) This is the biblical Jesus.

Example 3. Jesus teaches the condemnation of unbelievers

Paul teaches there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Rom. 8. But whatdoes the Biblical Jesus teach:“Whoever believes in in him is not condemned, BUT WHOEVER DOES NOT BELIEVE STANDS CONDEMNED ALREADY BECAUSE HE HAS NOT BELIEVED IN THE NAME OF GOD’S ONE AND ONLY SON.” John 3:18.

Jesus is actually teaching the condemnation of unbelievers. Will these false teachers and their follower stand with the Biblical Jesus and teach the condemnation of the unbelievers?

Many of them are universalist who contradict the Biblical Jesus for a Jesus of their own making.

How about the resurrected Christ? Some try to argue this is “pre-cross” talk and doesn’t apply to believers after the cross. If this is true of John 3:18, it is also true of John 3:16. No, Jesus refers to His death before stating that teaching in. v.18. No, this teaching is for all believers and unbelievers at all times and all places.

But what about the resurrected Christ, what of His words: Have you read how Jesus spoke to the churches and the unrepentant in the churches in Revelation?

The false teachers and their followers are quick to point to the Jesus they cherry pick out of the Gospels, but they won’t accept the New Covenant, post-cross, post-resurrection Jesus of the book of Revelation.

What about Jesus’ words to the Thyatira church will these false teachers and their followers embrace the Biblical Jesus? “I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Revelation 2:21-23

These are “red letters.” Spoken by the post-cross, New Covenant Jesus. And this has nothing to do with the A.D. 70 and judgment. Thyatira is clear across the Mediterranean Sea and was not touched by Rome.

Example 4. Jesus teaches He Himself will reject people, even people who used His name and power to set people free from their afflictions

In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus says He will not recognize/know or accept “workers of lawlessness or iniquity/sin and that they will NOT enter the Kingdom of heaven. This is the Biblical Jesus.

He actually sends them away from Himself. He does not invite them in and He calls them a name, a name that denotes who they are by their actions…… “workers of iniquity.” The people Jesus sends away thought they were doing His work, they were being kind to the afflicted and setting them free, they were doing this in Jesus name, but Jesus rejects them.

Will the false teachers and their followers stand with the Biblical Jesus and teach what Jesus is teaching here? Namely that Jesus will reject, send away and not allow into Heaven people who were kind and used His name and power to set people free from their afflictions?

The Biblical Jesus teaches the Scriptures ARE the Word of God. The Biblical Jesus teaches of a coming Judgment Day where Biblical Cities and the peoples of those cities and all people will be judged. The Biblical Jesus supports and OT judgments of God against sin, and since Jesus is God He was the giver of those judgments. The Biblical Jesus teaches the condemnation of unbelievers and the rejection of those He “never knew.” What Jesus are you trusting? Which Jesus is your Lord? The Jesus of the Bible or the Jesus of your own making?

True Grace is beautiful, salvation is to be ultimately cherished and Jesus Christ above all is to be worshiped and through Him our Heavenly Father…all this by the Holy Spirit who does “not want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

God’s grace is an amazing gift. This gift is available to all but not all will receive or enjoy the benefits of God’s grace in their lives.

In Romans 5:1-2 we find that there is an “access point” into grace. Grace is available to all but any who truly desire that grace must come through the door or access point and come into grace.

This verse says: “Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hop of the glory of God.”

Notice Jesus is the access point. Jesus Himself declares this when He says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus also calls Himself the Door or the Gate through which people must enter.

Notice we have peace with God through Jesus. Until you “lose your life” for Christ and follow Him you don’t have peace with God and stand condemned. John 3:18 tells us: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

Do not let false teaching about grace or watered down teaching about grace into your life. Christ is the only access point into the grace of God. Once in God’s grace we can stand confidently and with great joy.

As true believers God’s grace teaches us to live holy lives. In much of the grace teaching today the word “holiness” is feared and misunderstood. God’s grace teaches us to say NO to ungodliness, not the Law.

The Law is not the schoolmaster for the believer, but Grace is the schoolmaster and Titus 2: 12 teaches this. Jude goes on to warn about false teachers who give license to sin. Grace never gives license to sin.

Grace has cleansed us of from sin, freed us from sin’s power over our lives, we are to have nothing to do with sin. If you’re a Believer living in sin, get yourself untangled from it and cast it away. Sin always destroys and the Bible teaches we cannot live according to the sinful nature and still inherit the Kingdom of God. Live in the holiness that God has granted you through His merciful and loving grace.

“For you did not receive a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline….so do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord…” 2 Timothy 1:7-8. The Bible says the “righteous are bold as lions” Prov. 28:1. How and where do we get over our fear of man and live in the boldness that the Lord has given us?

The furthering of the gospel demands a people who are bold. It seems though that we struggle with what people will think about us if we share our faith. I have faced this in my own life and know there is a better way.

I wonder if we fear sharing the gospel which Paul says we should (“not be ashamed of because it is the the power of salvation”) because we know the people better than we know God.

The Spirit of God that we received does not give us fear, but frees us from fear. He causes us to cry out Abba Father to our God. Do we really know our Father? Again is it because we know people better then we know God? The more revelation we have of who God is and His love for us as His children we would be able to step on our fear, using it as a stepping stone to propel us into greater things in the Kingdom of our Father.

Find time alone with God, start a genuine conversation with Him. Cause your heart to worship with heartfelt emotion and passion, learn to cry out to Him with passion and find a place of loving submission in your heart. Your spiritual eyes will begin to be enlightened and you will come to know/see Him as He is. Then He will become the greatest influence in your life and you will overcome fear, be known as “bold” and the Lord will use you…His faith filled son or daughter.

In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus outlines His ministry purpose: 1. Preach Good News, 2. Proclaim freedom for prisoners, 3. Recovery of sight to the blind, 4. Release the oppressed, 5. Proclaim the Lord’s favor. When Jesus walked the earth He certainly accomplished these things, setting people free both spiritually and physically. All along the way He preached the truth that God’s Kingdom was here then He demonstrated that by having compassion on people.

On His way to the Cross in which He would pay for the sins of the world and take all sickness and disease upon Himself, He left a pattern of ministry for us to follow. You may say, ” I can’t do the same ministry that He did, He was the Son of God.” But let me ask you a question:

Did Jesus’ ministry purpose end when He ascended? In other words did Jesus stop doing sharing the Good News? Did He stop setting people free ……? No, in fact Jesus still does those things today. He does these things who are united to Him through faith.

Where is Jesus now, yes at the right hand of the Father, but also with us. He said He would be with us forever, but not only with us, but IN us. God has found a way to multiply the ministry of Jesus millions of times over. Through the indwelling Christ in each believer, Jesus can continue the same ministry He did on earth, after all “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.

You simply need to believe that God is in you and wants to reach out though you to those who are lost in darkness, to those who hate religion, to the indifferent and so on. Paul tells us we are co-laborers with Christ, isn’t time we join Him? Isn’t time we believe that Christ in us is the hope of glory and that He will use a yielded person who believes. Challenge yourself, if you read about in Jesus ministry on earth than it can still happen today through you. As Jesus said, “have faith in God.”

It seems more and more that our world is encountering problems that are bigger than what we can solve. Whether it is terrorism like ISIS or Boko Haran or viruses that kill many. We have worldwide financial problems. The list can go on and on. Many people see the increase of destruction in the world and it is disturbing to them.

There is a shaking going on and in my opinion it will increase. Worldwide problems will happen more often and will be more difficult to solve. But as believers in Christ the Bible tells us we are not of this world, but Paul tells us that we have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of Light. Jesus tells us that the Father is pleased to give us the Kingdom. This Kingdom, Hebrews tell us is unshakable.

Keep this verse in mind: Psalm 125:1-2—“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which CANNOT BE SHAKEN but endures forever. As the the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord SURROUNDS His people both now and forevermore.”

My friends, learn how to trust in the Lord. It is truly a walk of faith to truly learn to trust. Read His Word and trust His Word:

Psalm 119:89-91 says: Your word oh Lord is eternal, it stands firm in the Heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth and it endures. Your law endure to this day, for all things serve you.”

God’s Word is established in Heaven, we establish it here on earth by our “amen” to it, our faith-filled confession. Choosing to agree with what God has already said. 2 Cor. 1:18-23: “But as surely as God is faithful our message to you is not ‘yes’ and ‘no’. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy was not ‘yes’ and ‘no’ BUT IN HIM IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ‘YES.’ FOR NO MATTER HOW MANY PROMISES GOD HAS MADE THEY ARE YES IN CHRIST. AND THROUGH HIM THE AMEN (SO BE IT) IS SPOKEN BY US to the glory of God.”